1494

1494.
8 Aug.
Fr. R.
9 & 10 Hen. VII.
m. 12. (6.)

88. Henry VII. to All Persons.
Letters of protection to Peter de Miranda, merchant, of
Spain, in the service of the King, in the company of William
Rosse, Esq., victualler, of the town and castle of Calais.
—Westminster, 8th August.Latin. p. ½.

18 Aug.
B. R. V. 3573.
ff. 55, 56.

Conduct of certain
Jews.
89. Ferdinand and Isabella to Henry VII. (fn. 1)
Certain Jews who have left the dominions of Spain have
seized the sum of 428,000 maravedis, (fn. 2) belonging to Diego de
Soria, and in the keeping of Fernan Lorenzo, alleging that
Diego de Soria owes them certain sums on bills of exchange
which were given to them when they were expelled from Spain.
These Jews have forfeited their rights, for they had carried
away prohibited goods ; and Diego de Soria has been ordered
to pay the said bills of exchange into the royal exchequer.
Request Henry to annul the arrest, for by so doing he will
not only act justly, but also render them a "special service."
—Segovia, 18th August 1494.Spanish. pp. 2.

3 Nov.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

90. Ferdinand and Isabella to their Ambassador in
England. (fn. 3)
Henry VII. had sent an ambassador to Ferdinand and
Isabella when they were at Barcelona, and they have promised
to send ambassadors to England.
The King of France, their "much beloved and very dear
"brother and ally," restored to them their counties of Roussillon
and Cerdaña soon after the departure of the English
ambassador on his way to the King of France.
They had ordered Sasiola to go as ambassador to England ;
but Sasiola fell ill, and is still unable to undertake the
journey. This is the reason why the embassy has been
delayed.

King of France.
In the treaty between Spain and England there is a
clause by which they are at full liberty to receive from their
"beloved brother," the King of France, their counties of
Roussillon and Cerdaña, and to conclude with him alliances,
fraternity, brotherhood, and confederation, such as have always
existed between their predecessors and the predecessors of their
"beloved brother, the King of France." Roussillon and Cerdaña
having been restored to them, they have concluded their
alliances, &c. with France, which they were the more entitled
to do as Henry has neither signed nor sworn to nor delivered
the treaties.
They intend strictly to fulfil their treaty with France ;
nevertheless, they are not disinclined to form a new alliance
with England if Henry wish it.

The Pope.
The Colonna and Savelli (fn. 4) have rebelled against the Holy
Father, and have taken Ostia and other places belonging
to the Church. Rome is almost without provisions. The
Pope has asked them to assist the Church, and to invite other
princes to do the same. They have sent the guard ships
of the ports, and 1,000 lances taken from their guards, and
intend to continue sending him troops till he has recovered
what has been taken from him. They hope that Henry,
like a Christian King, will not leave the Pope unassisted.
—Madrid, 3rd November 1494.Indorsed : "To Do ..."Spanish. pp. 6.

3 Nov.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

91. Ferdinand and Isabella to the Bachelor Sasiola.
Wish that Henry should remove the burdens lately
imposed on the commerce of Spanish merchants in England
under pretext of the treaty. That treaty, though signed by
them, has never been signed, sworn to, or published by
Henry. It is, therefore, null and void.

Complaint by
Spanish merchants.
The prohibition imposed on Spanish merchants importing
woad from Toulouse (fn. 5), unless it be in English ships, is recent
and an infringement of the existing treaties. Meanwhile,
English merchants in Spain are treated like Spanish subjects.
Their subjects ask retaliation, but they are no friends to
such measures, and hope that Henry will be persuaded to do
justice.—Madrid, 3rd November 1494.Spanish. pp. 3½.

Footnotes

1. The letter is directed only to the "Serenissimo Rey," without stating what
king is meant. But there can be little doubt that it was written to Henry VII.
According to the then prevalent style in Spain, only the kings of Naples and of
England enjoyed the title of "Serenissimo ;" the King of the Romans
being addressed "Sacratissimo," and the King of France, "Muy Poderoso." As
Ferdinand had already written to the King of Naples in an imperious tone to put
the Jews into prison, and to force them, under pain of death, to give back the
goods they had taken with them, this letter, if directed to Naples, would have been
more than useless. Moreover, Diego de Soria was a Spanish merchant established
in Burgos, Bristol, and London, as is apparent from other papers in the same
collection.

3. On the superscription of the instruction, Jufre Sasiola was designated as the
ambassador. But Sasiola fell ill on his way to England, and De Puebla was
sent in his stead. The name of Sasiola is therefore expunged, but that of the
new ambassador is not placed in its stead.